Tri-Parish Catholic Churches of Dodge County

WASHINGTON – Reacting to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by the U.S. Congress, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, lamented the great harm the bill will cause to many of the most vulnerable in society, making steeper cuts to Medicaid and clean energy tax credits, and adding more to the deficit. While the bishops had commended the positive aspects of an earlier version of the bill, the restriction on federal funds to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood was reduced to one year, the parental choice in education provision was greatly weakened, and the restriction on federally funding “gender transition” procedures was removed. 

Archbishop Broglio said: 

“My brother bishops and I have repeatedly and consistently urged lawmakers to use the budget reconciliation process to help families in need and to change course on aspects of the bill that fail the poor and vulnerable. The final version of the bill includes unconscionable cuts to healthcare and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation. The bill, as passed, will cause the greatest harm to those who are especially vulnerable in our society. As its provisions go into effect, people will lose access to healthcare and struggle to buy groceries, family members will be separated, and vulnerable communities will be less prepared to cope with environmental impacts of pollution and extreme weather. More must be done to prevent these devastating effects. 

“The Catholic Church’s teaching to uphold human dignity and the common good compels us to redouble our efforts and offer concrete help to those who will be in greater need and continue to advocate for legislative efforts that will provide better possibilities in the future for those in need.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholic priests will now be able to celebrate Mass "for the care of creation" after the Vatican announced that a new formulary of prayers and biblical readings for the Mass will be added to the Roman Missal -- the liturgical book that contains the texts for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.

The new formulary, or specific set of texts and prayers for Mass, will be added among the "civil needs" section of the "Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions" listed in the Roman Missal. The current missal, approved by St. John Paul II in 2000, lists 17 "civil needs" to offer Masses and prayers for, including "for the nation or state," "after the harvest," "for refugees and exiles" and "in time of earthquake." The missal lists another 20 particular needs for the church and 12 for other circumstances.

Pope Leo XIV will use the new formulary for a private Mass July 9 with the staff of Borgo Laudato Si' ecology project -- a space for education and training in integral ecology hosted in the gardens of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer residence for the popes.

The formulary for the Mass began development during Pope Francis' pontificate in response to "requests for a liturgical way of celebrating the meaning and the message of 'Laudato si','" said Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, who presented the new formulary at a news conference July 3.

"The true authors of this text are Scripture, the (church) fathers and 'Laudato si','" said Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The new formulary, Archbishop Viola said, "receives some of the principal themes contained in Laudato Si' and expresses them in the form of prayer within the theological framework that the encyclical revives."

He described the set of prayers as "a good antidote against a certain reading of 'Laudato si'' that risks reducing the depth of its content to a 'superficial or ostensible ecology'" that is "far from that integral ecology widely described and explained in the encyclical."

The Mass formulary begins with the entrance antiphon from Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims works of his hands." The Collect prayer, which gathers the prayer intentions of the faithful to close the introductory rites of the Mass, asks God "that docile to the life-giving breath of your Spirit, we may lovingly care for the work of your hands."

The prayer after Communion asks for increased communion with God "so that, as we await the new heavens and the new earth, we may learn to live in harmony with all creatures."

The proposed biblical readings include Wisdom 13:1-9, Colossians 1:15-20, and selections from the Gospel of Matthew that recount Jesus calming the storm and calling people to trust in divine providence through the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.

In the decree dated June 8 issuing the new formulary, Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, wrote, "At this time it is evident that the work of creation is seriously threatened because of the irresponsible use and abuse of the goods God has endowed to our care."

"This is why it is considered appropriate to add a Mass formulary" on the care of creation, he wrote.

However, "this Mass is a reason for joy," said Cardinal Czerny during the July 3 news conference. "It increases our gratitude, strengthens our faith and invites us to respond with care and love in an ever-growing sense of wonder, reverence and responsibility."

The new formulary "calls us to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us, not only in daily choices and public policies, but also in our prayer, our worship and our way of living in the world," he added.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Almost four years after Pope Francis opened the Catholic Church's path toward synodality -- a term many in the church had never heard before -- his successor has thrown his support behind the last leg of the church's' synodal journey.

The Synod of Bishops, which admitted women, lay and other non-bishop voting members among its ranks during its two universal assemblies in October 2023 and 2024, "naturally retains its institutional profile and at the same time is enriched by the mature fruits of this season," Pope Leo XIV told the ordinary council of the synod June 26. "You are the body appointed to reap these fruits and make a prospective reflection."

Over two days, the council convened to approve a document for the synod's final implementation stage intended to improve dialogue between local churches and the Vatican synod office, the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops said in a statement June 30. The document will be released July 7 at www.synod.va.

The council also discussed the work of study groups instituted by Pope Francis to deal with hot-button topics -- such as women's ordination and changes to priestly formation.

The study groups were scheduled to present interim reports on their findings in June 2025, but the synod office noted that "due to the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, there have been delays." In agreement with Pope Leo, the deadline to submit the final reports was extended to Dec. 31, 2025, and the interim reports will be published on the synod office's website as they are received, it said.

According to the apostolic constitution "Universi Dominici Gregis," which governs procedures when the papacy is vacant, a council or Synod of Bishops is immediately suspended when a pope dies or resigns. All meetings, decisions and promulgations must cease until a new pope explicitly orders their continuation, or they are considered null.

The late pope launched the diocesan phase of the worldwide synodal process in October 2021, and it was originally scheduled to culminate with an in-person assembly in Rome in October 2023. Another assembly was held after a year of listening in October 2024, and in March, Pope Francis launched a three-year implementation phase of the synod that will culminate in an ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028.

Pope Leo told the synod's ordinary council June 26, "I encourage you in this work, I pray that it may be fruitful and as of now I am grateful."

The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops said that the expected document, titled "Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod," is a practical and theological guide for diocesan bishops and synodal teams as they apply the synod's final proposals locally.

The synod office noted that this phase of the synodal process "belongs above all to the local Churches," which are tasked with translating the synod assembly's "authoritative proposals" into concrete pastoral practices within their respective contexts. At the same time, the synod office said the guidelines were developed to respond to questions raised by bishops and diocesan leaders in recent months and are intended to support, not replace, local discernment.

Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, acknowledged in his opening remarks of the council's meeting that "difficulties and resistance" to the synodal process remain. He said that while some dioceses have already begun the implementation phase with enthusiasm, others are awaiting the forthcoming guidelines "with trepidation."

"These contrary positions must not be overlooked," he said. "Rather, I would say they must challenge us deeply."

Cardinal Grech proposed establishing a permanent forum, which he called a "Table of Synodality," to foster ongoing theological and canonical reflection on synodality and encouraged greater investment in formation programs. He also said that new partnerships with academic institutions and the continued support of young theologians would help cultivate a synodal "mentality" across the church.

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Most Reverend Daniel E. Garcia, currently Bishop of Monterey, as the Bishop of Austin.

The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Garcia’s biography may be found here.

The Diocese of Austin is comprised of 21,066 square miles in the State of Texas, and has a total population of 3,769,697 of which 678,545 are Catholic. 

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Thomas J. Rodi, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Mobile, and has appointed Most Reverend Mark S. Rivituso, currently auxiliary bishop of Saint Louis, as his successor. 

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on July 1, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The Archdiocese of Mobile is comprised of 22,969 square miles in the State of Alabama and has a total population of 1,859,393 of which 107,870 are Catholic.

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ROME (CNS) -- When Pope Leo XIV gave newly appointed metropolitan archbishops their pallium on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, he told them it symbolizes their responsibility to care for their people and to promote unity.

"Dear brothers, this sign of the pastoral responsibility entrusted to you also expresses your communion with the Bishop of Rome, so that in the unity of the Catholic faith, each of you may build up that communion in your local churches," he said in his homily during Mass in St. Peter's Basilica June 29.

He urged them to "learn to experience communion in this way -- as unity within diversity -- so that the various gifts, united in the one confession of faith, may advance the preaching of the Gospel."

Eight of the 54 archbishops receiving the pallium -- a woolen band worn around the shoulders over Mass vestments -- were from the United States.

Speaking with Catholic News Service in Rome, many of them reflected on their role in helping foster peace and unity. 

Archbishop W. Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas, said that ever since Pope Leo was elected and spoke about peace and unity, he has taken that message "to heart" and has been thinking, "What does that mean for us back home?"

"How do we tend to the unity of the church, such that we can be an oasis of peace in our own communities, in a climate sometimes that is very chaotic, adversarial, polarized," he said. "I think we have to consider the ways in which the church can be a better sanctuary of mercy in that context." 

Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of Galveston-Houston said it comes down to taking the time to listen to and engage with one another in a way that is respectful and civil. 

All dialogue and discussion about things of great importance can be done without "having to be so critical of one another as to demean one another, disrespect one another or not appreciate the other as a person," he said. 

Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit noted there are Catholics in his archdiocese that "hop from parish to parish looking for the message they want to hear, the style of liturgy they want to experience."

But, he said, "historically, parishes were places where you bond together as a people in a community, and you know each other, and you support each other, and you help each other, and when my faith is weak, I lean on you. When your faith is weak, you lean on me."

"That sense of unity on the local level, I think, is suffering, and so I really think one of the ways we Americans, and especially we in the Archdiocese of Detroit, I begin with myself at home, we need to really look at how we're building those local communities and that creates unity," he said. 

Archbishop Michael G. McGovern of Omaha, Nebraska, said, "I'm everybody's bishop. I'm not just the bishop for some people."

What that looks like, he said, is "one Sunday I'm going to go to the traditional Latin Mass community and I'll wear my choir robes and I'll sit on the side. I don't say the Latin Mass, but I just, I'm there to be present to the people because they're part of the church."

Another day, he said, he will go to the Vietnamese community in Omaha, where they recently celebrated a confirmation in a church that had been built by Polish immigrants.

"We're Catholics together. We're Christians together," he said. "I have to buy into your world before you buy into my world," which really speaks to people.

"I'm in a unique position to put a new face on the church as a bishop if I'm willing to get to know what's interesting to people, what are they concerned about, and when I'm able to do that, I think then I'm able to build unity," Archbishop McGovern said. 

Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston said "that sense of oneness or communion is critical in the Scriptures. It's one of the things Jesus prays for that they may all be one."

"We should have our own opinions and even different opinions, but there should also be a sense in which we are a single family, that there is a unity between us, that there is a peace between us, a charity between us," he said. 

Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee said, "We have to be unified. We have to work for peace and solidarity. We have to care for the marginalized."

"That's nothing new. You can walk it right back to the Gospels and Jesus Christ, but maybe we need to put a new face on it, we need to speak to this moment," he said.

Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati said that, "as a bishop, I'm entrusted with a flock. I don't choose that flock. It's handed over to me and it's a very diverse flock." 

"How can I tend the sheep of my flock? All of them, not some of them, but all of them. And so I think the pope, in being a representative of Christ who calls us to peace and unity, really invites us as church to seek out that care and concern of all God's children, of all those that make up this flock we shepherd," he said.

The church has to adapt to an ever-changing world, he said. "That can be challenging because we hold fast to our truths. We are a Catholic Church that has its practices, its customs, but we're also a church that has to learn to live in the present age, as we've done throughout all of history."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Archbishops around the world can provide by their example the fraternity and unity in diversity the entire Catholic Church needs today, Pope Leo XIV said.

"The whole church needs fraternity, which must be present in all of our relationships, whether between lay people and priests, priests and bishops, bishops and the pope," he said during his homily at Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29.

"Fraternity is also needed in pastoral care, ecumenical dialogue and the friendly relations that the church desires to maintain with the world," the pope said.

"Let us make an effort, then, to turn our differences into a workshop of unity and communion, of fraternity and reconciliation, so that everyone in the church, each with his or her personal history, may learn to walk side by side," he said. 

The feast day celebration in St. Peter's Basilica included the traditional blessing of the pallium, the woolen band that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments and symbolizes an archbishop's unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility to care for the flock the pope entrusted to him.

Pope Leo revived a tradition begun by St. John Paul II in 1983 by personally placing the pallium around the shoulders of the recently named archbishops.

Pope Francis had changed the ceremony starting in 2015. The late pope had invited new archbishops to concelebrate Mass with him and be present for the blessing of the palliums as a way of underlining their bond of unity and communion with him, but the actual imposition of the pallium was done by the nuncio and took place in the archbishop's archdiocese in the presence of his faithful and bishops from neighboring dioceses.

The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff issued a formal notification June 11 that on June 29 Pope Leo would preside over the Eucharistic celebration, bless the palliums and impose them on the new metropolitan archbishops. 

According to the Vatican, 54 archbishops from more than two dozen countries who were named over the past 12 months received the palliums. Eight of them were from the United States: Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington; Archbishop W. Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas; Archbishop Michael G. McGovern of Omaha, Nebraska; Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati; Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of Galveston-Houston; Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee; Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston; and Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit.
The pope blessed the palliums after they were brought up from the crypt above the tomb of St. Peter. Each archbishop then approached Pope Leo by the altar and either knelt or bowed their head as the pope placed the pallium over their shoulders. Each shared an embrace with the pope and a few words.

In his homily, the pope reflected on Sts. Peter and Paul -- two saints who were martyred on different days and yet share the same feast day.

Sts. Peter and Paul were two very different people with different backgrounds, faith journeys and ways of evangelizing, Pope Leo said. They were at odds over "the proper way to deal with gentile converts" and would debate the issue. 

And yet, they were brothers in the Holy Spirit, and they both shared "a single fate, that of martyrdom, which united them definitively to Christ," he said. 

Their stories have "much to say to us, the community of the Lord's disciples," he said, especially regarding the importance of "ecclesial communion and the vitality of faith."

"The history of Peter and Paul shows us that the communion to which the Lord calls us is a unison of voices and personalities that does not eliminate anyone's freedom," Pope Leo said.

"Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from living the 'concordia apostolorum,' that is, a living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity," he said.

"It is important that we learn to experience communion in this way -- as unity within diversity -- so that the various gifts, united in the one confession of faith, may advance the preaching of the Gospel," Pope Leo said.

Sts. Peter and Paul challenge Catholics to follow their example of fraternity and to think about "the vitality of our faith," he said. "As disciples, we can always risk falling into a rut, a routine, a tendency to follow the same old pastoral plans without experiencing interior renewal and a willingness to respond to new challenges." 

The two apostles were open to change, new events, encounters and concrete situations in the life of their communities, the pope said, and they were always ready "to consider new approaches to evangelization in response to the problems and difficulties raised by our brothers and sisters in the faith."

In the day's Gospel reading, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" which he continues to ask his disciples today, "challenging us to examine whether our faith life retains its energy and vitality, and whether the flame of our relationship with the Lord still burns bright," the pope said. 

"If we want to keep our identity as Christians from being reduced to a relic of the past, as Pope Francis often reminded us, it is important to move beyond a tired and stagnant faith," he said, and ask: "Who is Jesus Christ for us today? What place does he occupy in our lives and in the life of the church? How can we bear witness to this hope in our daily lives and proclaim it to those whom we meet?"

"Brothers and sisters, the exercise of a discernment born of these questions can enable our faith and the faith of the church to be constantly renewed and to find new paths and new approaches to preaching the Gospel. This, together with communion, must be our greatest desire," he said.

Keeping with a long tradition, a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Orthodox Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis of Chalcedon, was present at the Mass. Also present were members of the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The pope and the Orthodox metropolitan also descended the stairs below the main altar to pray at St. Peter's tomb.

"I would like to confirm on this solemn feast that my episcopal ministry is at the service of unity, and that the church of Rome is committed by the blood shed by Sts. Peter and Paul to serving in love the communion of all churches," Pope Leo said before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square. 

"The New Testament does not conceal the errors, conflicts and sins of those whom we venerate as the greatest apostles. Their greatness was shaped by forgiveness," he said. "The risen Lord reached out to them more than once, to put them back on the right path. Jesus never calls just one time. That is why we can always hope. The Jubilee is itself a reminder of this."

In fact, "those who follow Jesus must tread the path of the beatitudes, where poverty of spirit, meekness, mercy, hunger and thirst for justice, and peace-making are often met with opposition and even persecution," he said. "Yet God's glory shines forth in his friends and continues to shape them along the way, passing from conversion to conversion."

Pallium: U.S. archbishops on healing division

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29, 2025, and gave eight newly-appointed U.S. metropolitan archbishops palliums -- woolen bands symbolizing an archbishop's unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility...

WASHINGTON – “Parents have a right to direct their children’s education, especially regarding subjects that touch on faith and morals,” said Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty. Following the 6-3 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Mahmoud v. Taylor, he offered the following statement: 

“Public schools in our diverse country include families from many communities with a variety of deep-seated convictions about faith and morals. When these schools address issues that touch on these matters, they ought to respect all families. Parents do not forfeit their rights as primary educators of their children when they send their kids to public schools. The parents in Montgomery County did not seek to impose their religious viewpoints on others; they simply asked to opt out of a program that was offensive to their faith. 

“To be sure, children should not be learning that their personal identity as male or female can be separated from their bodies. But if a public school chooses to offer these kinds of programs, it ought to respect those who choose not to participate. The school board was wrong to interfere with the rights of the parents, and I am grateful that the Supreme Court has moved to rectify this injustice.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Priests are called to be embraced and shaped by God's boundless love, and to realize that there is no place for division and hatred of any kind, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Reconciled with one another, united and transformed by the love that flows abundantly from the Heart of Christ, let us walk together humbly and resolutely in his footsteps, firm in faith and open to all in charity," he told priests from all over the world.

"Let us bring the peace of the risen Lord to our world, with the freedom born of the knowledge that we have been loved, chosen and sent by the Father," he said in his homily during Mass in St. Peter's Basilica June 27, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

The Mass marked the conclusion of a week of Jubilee celebrations for seminarians, bishops and priests, where Pope Leo reiterated the need to ground one's vocation in God's love, Jesus' friendship and the Holy Spirit's transformative power, as well as the need to be united and missionary in a world thirsting for meaning and hope.

During the Mass, the pope also ordained 32 priests from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. 

In his homily, he told the ordinands, "What I have to say is simple, but I consider it important for your future and for the future of the souls entrusted to your care."

"Love God and your brothers and sisters, and give yourselves to them generously. Be fervent in your celebration of the sacraments, in prayer, especially in adoration before the Eucharist, and in your ministry," he told them. "Keep close to your flock, give freely of your time and energy to everyone, without reserve and without partiality, as the pierced side of the crucified Jesus and the example of the saints teach us to do."

He encouraged them to look among the many examples of holy priests in the church's history. "Learn their stories, study their lives and work, imitate their virtues, be inspired by their zeal and invoke their intercession often and insistently!" he exhorted.

"All too often, today's world offers models of success and prestige that are dubious and short-lived. Do not let yourselves be taken in by them!" he said.

Instead, look to those who, "frequently hidden and unassuming," have spent their lives in service of the Lord and their brothers and sisters, he said. "Keep their memory alive by your own example of fidelity."

Pope Leo told priests that the Sacred Heart of Jesus "is entrusted in a special way to us, so that we can make it present in our world." 

They contribute to the work of salvation in several ways, he said, first, by imitating the Good Shepherd who watches over his flock, seeks the lost, helps the wounded and strengthens the weak and sick.

"In this age of vast and devastating conflicts," he said, "the love of God has no limits. We are called to let ourselves be embraced and shaped by that love, and to realize that in God's eyes -- and our own as well -- there is no place for division and hatred of any kind."

God also exhorts his priests to "entrust ourselves, along a daily path of conversion, to the transforming power of his Spirit who dwells in our hearts," he said.

"We are called to exercise pastoral charity with a generous love, like that of the Father, and to foster in our hearts the desire that no one be lost but that everyone, also through our ministry, may come to know Christ and have eternal life in him," the pope said.

"We are called to deepen our closeness to Jesus and to be a source of harmony in the midst of our brother priests," he said. "We do so by bearing on our shoulders those who are lost, granting forgiveness to those who have erred, seeking out those who have gone astray or been left behind and caring for those who suffer in body or spirit."

Every priest must seek to "remain united with their bishop and within the presbyterate," Pope Leo said. "For the more we are united among ourselves, the more we will be able to lead others to the fold of the Good Shepherd and to live as brothers and sisters in the one house of the Father."

Pope Leo ordains priests: Be faithful!

On the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during the Jubilee of Priests, Pope Leo XIV ordained 32 men to the priesthood and urged them to be faithful witnesses of service. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Too often, in the name of security, war is waged against the poor, Pope Leo XIV said.

The Holy Year instead indicates that safety is found in the culture of encounter, he said. The Jubilee "asks of us the restitution and redistribution of unjustly accumulated wealth, as the way to personal and civil reconciliation."

The pope made his comments during a meeting marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking June 26. Dozens of guests attended the gathering in the San Damaso Courtyard at the Vatican, including Italian government officials, individuals in recovery for substance abuse and those who assist them. 

"Today, brothers and sisters, we are engaged in a battle that cannot be abandoned as long as, around us, anyone is still imprisoned in the various forms of addiction," Pope Leo said.

"Our fight is against those who make their immense business out of drugs and every other addiction -- think of alcohol or gambling," he said. "There are huge concentrations of interest and extensive criminal organizations that states have a duty to dismantle."

However, he said, "it is easier to fight against their victims." 

"Too often, in the name of security, war is waged against the poor, filling prisons with those who are merely the final link in a chain of death. Those who hold the chain in their hands instead manage to gain influence and impunity," he said. 

"Our cities must not be freed of the marginalized, but of marginalization; they must be cleared not of the desperate, but of desperation," he said.

"The fight against drug trafficking, educational commitment among the poor, the defense of Indigenous communities and migrants, and fidelity to the social doctrine of the church are in many places considered subversive," he said.

"The Jubilee indicates the culture of encounter as the way to safety," he said, and challenges must be tackled together.

"We conquer evil together. Joy is found together. Injustice is fought together. The God who created and knows each one of us -- and is more intimate to me than I am to myself -- made us to be together," he said. 

"Of course, there are also bonds that hurt and human groups where freedom is lacking. But these, too, can only be overcome together, trusting those who do not profit from our suffering, those whom we can meet and who meet us with selfless attention," the pope said.

"Drugs and addiction are an invisible prison that you, in different ways, have known and fought, but we are all called to freedom," Pope Leo told his audience.

"St. Augustine confessed that only in Christ did the restlessness of his heart find peace. We seek peace and joy, we thirst for them. And many deceptions can delude and even imprison us in this quest," he said.

"The church needs you. Humanity needs you. Education and politics need you. Together, we will make the infinite dignity imprinted on each person prevail over every degrading addiction," the pope said.

"Let us go forward together, then, multiplying the places of healing, encounter and education: pastoral paths and social policies that start from the street and never give anyone up for lost," he said.